This is an interesting story for me to write about because my mom’s family comes from Boston and so I get protective of that wonderful city. For many Bostonians, the idea of a mega-city may be difficult to swallow. There are so many things that are uniquely Boston that can’t really be transplanted onto New York City and D.C., and many things that probably couldn’t be transplanted onto Boston either. Everything from Boston accents to the best seafood in the world are elements of a shared Boston heritage that most of us don’t want to have to give up or change.

And why would we? Boston is wicked awesome. I’m here to tell you, as a skeptical lover of Boston myself, that the idea of a mega-city would not mean that we have to give up our Boston identity. In fact, working together with New York City and D.C. could give Boston the economic security and political clout needed to remain a world-class city well into the 21st century.